Cultivation through Skin Making

The identity of a Nanwu Sword Sect sword cultivator serves as a good cover.

For over half a year, Song Yan's "Granny Fox" shadow puppet, in this guise, has entered no less than three secret realms. She made the acquaintance of many loose cultivators but was unable to find blood suitable for Song Yan.

However, it wasn't entirely fruitless. At least, through everyday interactions, Song Yan heard some things about the "Ancient Teleportation Array."

...

Cultivators told him that, a long, long time ago, the North and South of this continent were connected. The so-called "Wu, Shu, Wei" Three Kingdoms were merely a small nation that split from the continent's southern part. In the past, there seemed to be teleportation arrays that could directly connect the North and South, but now it's all shrouded in the mists of time.

This piece of information roughly provided Song Yan a possible direction for the "Ancient Teleportation Array" — the North.

He didn't know what the North was, but there's a ninety percent chance it already spans across the Mountain and Sea Demon Country.

The "Wu, Shu, Wei" Three Kingdoms are a "dead end." One option is to go to sea, but no one knows what lies abroad;

the other is to go north through the "Desolate Wilderness," from where Granny Fox was invited by the Wei King. Clearly... that direction directly leads to the Mountain and Sea Demon Country.

Therefore...

Song Yan began to delve into the Ancient Teleportation Array again.

The Crimson Palace can still be hidden, but faced with the Purple Mansion Realm's blue-headed cannibal devouring locusts, he felt there's nothing at all that could be hidden.

The Purple Mansion Realm was a realm he had no understanding of whatsoever.

Becoming stronger was necessary, but he also had to prepare a backup plan for himself.

Upon hearing this news, he split the two shadow puppets.

Granny Fox continued to do what a sword cultivator should, helping him find more secret realms.

The other began to secretly head toward the direction of the Ancient Teleportation Array.

...

After a month of trekking, Song Yan finally found the array in a secret cave southeast of Nanwu Sword Sect, following Granny Fox's map.

"Ancient" wasn't a lie...

The three layers of overlapping vines surrounding the cave were enough for one to overlook it, not to mention it was in a barren wilderness void of Profound Qi, a place no woodcutters or hunters would ever tread.

Song Yan lit the fire stick, maneuvered sideways through the vine gaps in his fox demon shadow puppet form, and proceeded into the dark cave. At the depths, he indeed found something of interest.

The array was about the size of a courtyard landscape pond, with a vertical span of over twenty steps, and six stone steles approximately seven feet tall standing in six directions, with the array pattern at the center.

Spanning untold years, the array pattern remained as new, with its thickness and detailing intact, clearly indicating that the stone materials used to cast the array were extraordinary.

However...

Song Yan furrowed his brow slightly, his figure flickering to the northwest of the array.

There, shockingly, was a trail the thickness of an adult's arm!

This trail seemed to have erased part of the array pattern as if an eraser had been used.

Song Yan followed the trail further and saw a rusty broken sword standing at its end.

It appeared that the array wasn't deliberately destroyed but was affected by a battle, during which the broken sword had slashed across the entire array, thereby ruining it.

Song Yan stepped forward to grab the broken sword, slightly channeling Profound Qi, only to find the broken sword was like a bottomless pit, incessantly absorbing his strength. As it absorbed more, the surface of the sword started to tremble, and the rust quickly shook off. However, as the Profound Qi of his shadow puppet was nearly depleted, he hastily stopped, threw the broken sword into his storage bag, and continued examining the teleportation array.

Evidently, to restore this ancient teleportation array, at the very least, the "array pattern" needed to be repaired somehow.

'Broken sword...'

'Residual array...'

'It's time to visit Nanwu Sword Sect.'

Although Song Yan also worried about Granny Fox being exposed, as a shadow puppet cannot truly perform the Sword Control Technique, Granny Fox relied entirely on her body's strength, power, and speed to wield a sword. Nevertheless, he had to make a trip to Nanwu Sword Sect.

Previously, he was concerned about others using some secret technique to track him through the shadow puppet, but now... first, he's within the secret realm, and second, there's no time to worry about such things.

...

...

After a little over a fortnight...

Nanwu Sword Sect.

The Immortal Island hid among the clouds, its peaks not towering, but treasured for their innate spiritual grace. The mountains, amidst the ocean of clouds and mist, are akin to brush strokes by a grand master, rising and falling with a certain charm.

Da...

The bamboo pole stopped at the shore, the bow of the boat slightly dipped, and the water rippled with a few mournful sounds between rising and falling.

Song Yan secured the cable and stepped onto the outermost Observing Mist Island of the Nanwu Sword Sect.

As soon as he landed, a disciple from the Nanwu Sword Sect rushed over. Upon seeing his appearance, the disciple was both surprised and delighted, saying, "Brother Bai! You... you're still alive?!"

Although Song Yan had undergone a soul search, he only had a slight impression of who this disciple was. Luckily, over the past six months, he had been accustomed to Bai Xiuhu's temperament and way of speaking, and now he skillfully imitated his tone and sighed, "It's a long story..."

The disciple sighed, "Many things have happened over the years. The fellow brothers who practiced swordsmanship together suddenly disappeared one by one. Some are known to have died, while others... their fates remain unknown."

Song Yan suddenly asked, "Has the Sect Leader exited his seclusion?"

The disciple sighed deeply and said no more.

Song Yan didn't ask further. In fact... during this time, he had heard many rumors while he was outside.

The rumors claimed that "the Sect Leader of the Nanwu Sword Sect hadn't appeared since going into seclusion years ago, not even for the critical battle at Cold Pool Valley, because the Sect Leader had already passed away."

In fact, the reason the Nanwu Sword Sect could confront the Puppet Sect was entirely because of this Sect Leader.

This Sect Leader was renowned as the "Water Uncle Sword Emperor," with an Innate Five Elements Water Profound Root, sitting along the rivers and seas of the Jianghu, making him an unbeatable force.

Years ago, the Water Uncle Sword Emperor went into closed-door training on Luoxia Bamboo Island at the deepest part of the Sword Sect, aiming to break through to the late stage of the Crimson Palace Realm, and has not emerged since.

Gu Huangzi dreaded him, just as he feared Zhang Han, who sat at the center of the Evil Land.

Such entities, already powerful and occupying favorable positions, are nearly invincible when fighting on their home ground.

No one knows what the blood of the Water Uncle Sword Emperor's "Third Central Palace" holds, but it's likely he risked taking a Crimson Palace Pill to strengthen it. And that... the Crimson Palace Pill might still have lingering toxins.

Whether he can overcome the crisis, no one can predict.

To prevent anyone from disturbing the Sect Leader, the Great Elder strictly forbade anyone from approaching Luoxia Bamboo Island.

Even now... it remains the same.

However, the rumors circulating outside are truly frightening.

Song Yan himself couldn't determine the truth, whether it was just the Puppet Sect's fabrication, or if it was both fabrication and truth. Thus, he asked after landing on the island.

But since he didn't get a definite answer, he had a rough idea in his heart.

The current "Water Uncle Sword Emperor" is like a "blind box"...

Neither the Great Elder nor any high-ranking members of the Nanwu Sword Sect dared to open this blind box.

As long as the blind box remains unopened, the Water Uncle Sword Emperor is in closed-door training, and the Nanwu Sword Sect might anytime have a powerful late stage Crimson Palace expert.

But if it's opened, it's like a gambler going all-in, pushing all his chips forward and betting it all.

...

Song Yan walked a few steps forward and saw another disciple hurrying through the mist. That disciple also recognized him, clasped his fists from a distance, and shouted, "Brother Bai."

This person, Song Yan recognized and returned the greeting with a smile, "Brother Su."

The disciple nodded, then with a flick of his sleeve, took out a jade bottle, poured out some powder, and scattered it over Song Yan's head, sternly saying, "If you have nothing to hide, don't move!"

Song Yan didn't move, his expression calm.

The powder fell, ice-cold with a feeling as if it was about to tear apart his illusion technique.

However, the illusion technique of the old Fox Demon could not be compared to that of young foxes.

The powder failed to tear it open.

Brother Su breathed a sigh of relief, then explained, "During the previous battle, the Puppet Sect eliminated many Fox Demons and made a batch of Fox Demon Shadow Puppets.

Those shadow puppets are highly skilled in illusion techniques. Without scattering this Illusion-Dispersing Powder, they're impossible to distinguish.

However, I knew you couldn't be a Fox Demon Shadow Puppet, otherwise, you wouldn't approach me so defenselessly."

Song Yan asked curiously, "Why?"

Brother Su whispered, "They usually travel in pairs, one is the Fox Demon Shadow Puppet, the other a Skin Master from the Puppet Sect, not too far apart from each other. Since you returned alone, how could you be a Fox Demon Shadow Puppet? But Brother, it was just an extra precaution."

Song Yan praised, "You're cautious, Brother."

Brother Su waved his hand, saying, "Hurry back to your Cave Mansion. Many major things have happened in the Sect, and it's uncertain when you might be deployed to the frontlines again."

Song Yan said, "Since I fled last year, my mind was stained by the escapade, and now I've understood. Only by slaying demons and eliminating evil can I cleanse my heart!"

After speaking, he coughed heavily a few times, a bitter smile on his face, "Alas... my serious injuries haven't healed, perhaps I'm willing but unable."

Brother Su comforted, "As long as you have the will, there's no need to overthink the rest."